Lower Gauge + Higher Action vs Higher Gauge + Lower Action

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Lower Gauge + Higher Action vs Higher Gauge + Lower Action

Slide playing is the one area where lighter strings have been a real problem for me, even with the medium action that I prefer.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Lower Gauge + Higher Action vs Higher Gauge + Lower Action

I don’t follow. How do higher strings have more downward pressure, and how does that keep the strings secure under your fingers?

It's because you have to press the string down slightly farther to fret a note. Somehow that little bit of extra pressure at the contact point keeps the string from trying to slip out from under the fingertip when you bend. It seems especially helpful for bends using the index or middle finger. For me at least.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Lower Gauge + Higher Action vs Higher Gauge + Lower Action

i play slide a fair amount and switch between fretting and slide in the same song all the time. i have 11s on all my electrics and the action is higher than id guess most people would like but it works well for me. "a little too high for solos, a little too low for slide" or whatever warren haynes said. for acoustics i have a tayor that plays like butter but if you hit it hard, it doesnt give you anything more and doesnt sound great. my martin on the other hand has higher action and isnt as easy to play but gives you something back if you lay into it. different setups for different things like chris and others have said

i can do it now but it took a long time to develop the touch needed to play on light strings and/or low action if i borrow a guitar to sit in or something. like most things, practice gets ya there

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Lower Gauge + Higher Action vs Higher Gauge + Lower Action

i can do it now but it took a long time to develop the touch needed to play on light strings and/or low action if i borrow a guitar to sit in or something. like most things, practice gets ya there

Practice? What’s that?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Lower Gauge + Higher Action vs Higher Gauge + Lower Action

its a thing i used to do a lot! and for the past 15+ years have been coasting on that practice. these days i barely pick up a guitar if im not on a gig, havent been any of them since mid march and dont expect there will be for a while. thisll be the first year i havent done 100+ in as long as i can remember. might have to start practicing so i dont forget how to play

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Lower Gauge + Higher Action vs Higher Gauge + Lower Action

its a thing i used to do a lot! and for the past 15+ years have been coasting on that practice. these days i barely pick up a guitar if im not on a gig, havent been any of them since mid march and dont expect there will be for a while. thisll be the first year i havent done 100+ in as long as i can remember. might have to start practicing so i dont forget how to play

I was playing recently and thought “I am so much worse now than I was about 15 years ago”. Wait, when did I rejoin the forum? :scratchch

 

[Archer250]

Re: Lower Gauge + Higher Action vs Higher Gauge + Lower Action

I used to do 10-52s with medium action... Now I do 10-46, but also with medium action.